Selling communities is no joke, especially struggling communities. Has your team ever hosted a grand opening that ended with no sales? Does your team have that one house that won’t sell?
The secret to propelling sales during these times is creating a unique selling proposition, or USP, for your communities. A USP is the special combination of features and benefits that only your area, builder, and community can offer. It is essential that you create a clear, concise, and compelling USP for your community because it is one of the most critical pieces in new home sales.
Here are three steps to create an effective USP for your communities.
1. Understand your area, builder, and community.
This is a valuable tool during the sales process. Some questions to ask yourself are:
- What are the highlights of this area?
- What does the builder offer?
- What is special about the community?
- Who is going to find this community most attractive?
Try to find a minimum of 3 features or benefits for each item.
Here is an example of listing benefits or features to understand the area.
Elmhurst has one of the best school districts in the area and is located near multiple major highways. So, you can quickly and easily get anywhere you need to in the city.
2. Identify unique features/benefits to your builder.
Review your entire list of features and benefits, and find unique aspects only your builder can offer. Think beyond included features; those things can easily change. Instead, focus on the elements that can’t be easily changed and look for the things only you can provide.
What is truly one-of-a-kind? Being an expert in understanding your product at a micro-level is important! Consider what will benefit the buyer, and find what is unique to your move-in-ready homes. Then, consolidate these features into one or two brief paragraphs.
Here are examples of unique features for area, builder, and community.
Area: Lincoln Park is located in one of the area's best school districts and is the only new construction community in the district.
Builder: Rice Homes is a family-owned and operated business with years of experience as a home builder and offers one, two, five, and ten-year warranties, matching all national builders in the area.
Community: Riceville has a 25,000-square-foot community recreation center.
3. Shorten your USP to powerful sentences.
At this point, you have discovered many unique aspects regarding your area, builder, and community. The next step is to shorten your USP to powerful sentences. Prioritize the information based on importance and ensure they are clear, concise, and compelling. They should be able to speak for themselves.
Here is an example of a USP.
At Rice Homes, we offer the security of a comprehensive warranty and the personal touch of a family business. We are proud to be the only new home community in prestigious District 11 and offer our residents a 25,000-square-foot community recreation center.
Crafting a USP is one of the most critical pieces in new home sales. This tool will help buyers understand what makes your area, builder, and community more unique, creating a competitive advantage and allowing your team to defend the builder's value. Now all you have to do is, motivate your team and jumpstart these struggling communities!
